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Albert Lee at Cadogan Hall, SW1

An army of faded celebrities turned out to take part in the belated 70th birthday celebration for the guitarist

David Sinclair

March 4 2014, 12:01am, The Times

Albert Lee celebrated his 70th birthday last year, but it took him until this past weekend to stage a monumental concert party with his musician friends over two nights in London. Lee is one of the most admired musicians in rock’n’roll, a guitarist with a quicksilver finger-picking style that has earned him enduring respect — and employment — from much bigger stars. Eric Clapton called him “gifted on just about every level” and other artists he has worked with, including Emmylou Harris and Jools Holland, sent similarly effusive messages via video footage.

In the hall itself an army of rather more faded celebrities showed up to pay their respects, including Bill Wyman, who shrugged his way through Race with the Devil and Jitterbug Boogie; Shakin’…